Latch



A. F. LlCKTElG LATCH Filed Dec. 15} 1947 April 12, 1949.

ALBERT F hex-ram,

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCHApplication December 15, 1947, Serial No. 791,709

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a latch adapted to be mounted upon a swingingdoor for releasably holding the door in closed position. It is an objectand purpose of the present invention to pro-.

vide a very practical, economically built and easily operated latch forreleasably holding a swinging door in closed position, and which isreadily installed thereon. Such latch in operation has a bolt assemblyreleasably cooperating with a keeper therefor against which it strikeswhen a door is closed and rides thereover to closing position, inassociation with which is a locking means which normally locks the boltassembly from disconnection with the strike or keeper when the door isclosed. Said locking means is manually movable to release the boltassembly for disconnection from the strike or keeper. With suchstructure, the door is closable with a minimum of force applied thereto,but when closed is locked against opening until released through theapplication to the manually operable locking means of a considerablygreater force. Other objects and purposes will appear and be understoodfrom the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through a hingedly mounted door andadjacent portions of the door frame or jamb, the latch and keeper beingshown in plan,

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged vertical section, substantially on theplane of line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, substantially on the planeof line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a diiierent positionof the latch parts when the door is released for opening, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the connection of the handle of thelatch with a latch releasing bar pivotally secured thereto.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the difierent figuresof the drawin The door I may be'hingedly mounted adjacent one edge byhinges 2 to swing from open to closed position. At the inner side oredge of the opening which the door closes, a keeper 3, made from a flatplate of metal, is secured by screws or other fasteners. At its innerend portion it is bent laterally at an angle approximating forty-fivedegrees to provide a terminal section 4 as shown.

In the construction of the latch mounted on the door, and which engagesthe keeper, a plate 5 is located vertically, in the disclosure shown, atthe outer side of the door and a short distance inwardly from its freeedge. It has threaded openings for the reception of the threaded ends ofscrews 6 which pass through openings made therefor through the door, andalso through openings in member I disposed at the inner side of thedoor. They also pass through outwardly extending flanges 8 of a housing,integral with which flanges are upper and lower spaced sides 9 which areintegrally connected at one edge by a connecting crosspiece l0. Thus thescrews 6 secure not only the plate 5 at the outer side of the door, butthe plate I and the housing of the latch.

An arm I l is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin l-2 carried by andextending between the sides 9. It extends inwardly a short distancebeyond the two spaced sides 9 and is made from metal in a substantiallychannel form. Adjacent its free end a bolt member is pivotally mounted.The bolt member consists of two sections I3 and I4 located generally atright angles to each other, the terminal section l4 having a free endcoming against one end of a torsion spring l5 conveniently locatedaround the pivot pin [2. The tendency of the spring is to turn the boltmember described in a counterclockwise direction, or until the outer endof the section 13 of said bolt member is stopped by engaging against theouter end of the arm II.

A horizontal bar [6 passes through an opening made through the door I.It is narrowed in width toward its inner end and at such narrow portionpasses through a guide opening in the plate I. It is stopped at an innerposition by shoulders on the bar [6 (Fig. 2) engaging against shortflanges struck from the plate 1 at the opening therethrough. The bar ismoved normally to the position described by a coiled compression springI! around the outer portion of the bar, which bears against projectionsextending from the bar at one end and against the plate 5 at the other.The bar l6 extends through an opening in the plate 5 and is pivotallyconnected at its outer end to a handle N3, of the shape and structurebest shown in Fig. 2. The handle is recessed at its inner side at itsupper end to cover and conceal the plate 5, and has a boss at its innerside carrying a horizontal pivot pin [9 which passes through the bar l6.

At the normal inner position of the bar 46, as in Fig. 2, to whichposition it is moved by the spring H, the inner end of the bar passesbetween the part l0 and the adjacent outer side of the arm II, as inFig. 3. In such position it 5 reaches inwardly beyond the center of thepivot pin I2. When thus located the arm H is held against movement, andthe free end of the bolt member having the two sections or parts 13 andH2 is movable a limited distance, being stopped substantially in theposition shown in Fig. 3 by the outer end of the part l3 coming againstthe outer turned-in end portion of arm ll.

When a door is being opened the position of the parts of the latchmember carried on the door is that shown in Fig. 4. After the door isopened and the handle is released, the parts of the latch returnsubstantially to the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring I! moving barl'6 inwardly beyond the axis of the pin 12. On

closure of the door, the elbow or bend between the two parts I3 and M ofthe bolt will com'e against the inner inclined end .portion of thekeeper and the bolt will be turned against the yielding spring 45 untilthe elbow passes by the free end of the section 4, whereupon spring I5,which has been tensioned by the clockwise movement of the bolt, returnsthe bolt substantially to the position in Fig. 3, with the end of thepart 4 against the curved outer edge of the section M of the bolt. Saidcurved outer edge is a cam, the radius of curvature of which is greaterthan the distance between said cam and the center of the pivot mountingthe bolt on the arm 1 I. This causes the force of the spring [5 to tendto push the cam edge of the section 14 against the end of the strike 4and make a snug closure of the door, preventing rattling. In suchposition the door (Fig. 3) is held against opening. The bolt can notturn about its pivot in a counterclockwise direction beyond the positionshown in Fig. 3, and there is no way of reaching said bolt, with thedoor closed, to turn it in a clockwise direction against the spring I5.Any attempt to open the door will force the bolt against the end of thestrike plate section 4, the force being in a line from the center of thepivotof the bolt to the inclined strike section 4 in a directionsubstantially parallel to the section 4.

To release the door with it closed as in Fig.3, the handle I8 is pulledoutward substantially to the dash line position shown in Fig. -2. Theoutward movement is by the upper end of the handle l8 bearing againstthe front of the door l. The spring I! is compressed. The outer end ofthe bar I6 received in a suitable socket therefor at the inner side ofthe handle 18, in the angular change of relation of the handle to thebar when the handle is pulled outward, limits the distance outward thatthe-bar may-be pulled by pinching of the bar at its upper or loweredge,or both edges in the socket. And of course, as an equivalent, anysuitable stop means may be provided to limit the outward movement of thebar It. For while it is necessary that the bar 16 be moved from one sideof the axis of the pivot I2 to the other side thereof, said bar 46should not be moved to a position that it passes by the adjacent end ofthe arm H.

In the withdrawn position of the bar, as in "Fig. 4, arm I! is releasedso that it, with the bolt connected thereto, may move in acounterclockwise direction about the axis of the pin l2. Upon suchrelease of the arm II a continuance of the outward pull upon the handle18 will-cause a swinging of the bolt assembly from the position in Fig.3 to or beyond that shownin Fig. 4, the relatively fixed abutmentprovided by the end'of the strike section '4 causing the automaticturning of the lever H in a counterclockwise'direction'as the door isopened. Such turning of the bolt assembly from the position in Fig. 3 toFig. 4, accompanied by the opening of the door, moves the outer pointsof the elbow between the sections l3 and M to a position such that itpasses by said strike or keeper section 4 and the door may be fullyopened. A pull on the handle will therefore automatically unlatch thedoor for movement to open position.

The latch structure disclosed is practical and efficient, readilymanufactured with economy, its action is exceptionally easy and thelatch parts are not subjected to shocks and wear of a damaging ordetrimental nature. The latch is particularly durable.

Ease of closure :is a characteristic attribute of the :latch. Thestrength of the spring !5, which is disposed between the arm II and thepivoted bolt member carried thereby, is light and it is this spring onlywhich has to be tensioned when the door is closed. The strength of thesprin i'! on .the other hand is much greater, and a greater :forceisrequired to overcome it to move the locking bar I 6 to its releasingposition when thedoor is to be opened. The door therefore is notilikelyto be accidentally opened, but in general may be opened only upona direct application of a force which will not occur either aimlessly orby accident, but must be applied .intentionally.

The latch is distinguished from many other types of latches, and so faras known from all others, in that .in such others the latch bolt isusually retracted directly by manual operation, while in the presentstructure the latch bolt is unlocked so that it may turn, theunlock-ingbeing by manual operation and the turning for release of thebolt from its keeper being thereafter automatic with the-opening of thedoor.

It is-of course to be understood that variations in structural detail,with an accomplishment of the same purposes and functions insubstantially the-same way,.may be resorted to without departing fromtheinvention. The spring I5 .is conveniently-carried on the pivot :pin.I'Z. And while one end-of it lies against the :arm H, quite .aseffective a structure and one operating thesame would be produced-byespring between the latch bolt having the parts Hand [4 and anyconvenient place of mounting on one or both of the sides 9 of thefixture described. 'For the ,pin T 2 secured tosaid sides 9 of thefixture, in its functional relationto the-spring '15 maybe considered apart of such fixture. g

It is also-to be understoodlthat-the bolt assembly and its mounting atthe inner side of the door, associated with which is a means to normallyhold the arm H in the position shown in Fig. 3 when the door is closed,'is a part of the invention without the-bar J2. 'lnstead as a means forholding the arm in the position .shownin Fig. .3, a spring ofheavierforce than the spring -l5 .may be interposed between said arm andthe .fixture on which it is mounted, whereupon the .latchds of thefriction-catch variety. Therefore, the anvention as defined in theappended claims, .is

to beconsideredcomprehensive .of-all forms of structure =coming withintheir scope.

I claim: 1. In 'a structure of :the class described, a 'bar adapted topass through a door, a :handle pivotally connected :at the 20111561 end:of the bar adapted "to bear at one fiend against the :door and having:a manually "-engageable portion at its other end for :pulling thehandle 1 outwardly about 'its' point cfzengagement with "the door tomove said bar longitudinally outward, spring means acting upon said barnormally tending to move the bar inwardly, a support adapted to besecured to the door at its inner side, an arm pivotally mounted on saidsupport and extending therebeyond, said bar at its inner position lyingalongside said arm and extending beyond its pivotal axis, said supporthaving a fixed portion between which and said arm the inner end portionof said bar is received, and a bolt pivotally connected at its outer endto the outer end of said arm extending outwardly and laterally from itspivot and terminating in a section extending toward said bar and locatedgenerally at right angles to the outer end portion of the bolt, said barwhen pulled outwardly being withdrawn at its inner end beyond thepivotal axis of said arm.

2. A structur as defined in claim 1, and a torsion spring around thepivot of said arm, having one end bearing against the arm and the otheragainst the free end of said bolt.

3. In a latch structure, a support adapted to be attached at the innerside of a door including, spaced apart sides and a cross-connectingportion joining said sides at one edge thereof, an arm pivotally mountedon and between the sides of said support extending at its free endbeyond said support, a bolt having two sections located generally atright angles to each other pivotally connected at one end to the outerend portion of the arm, and spring means connected with the pivot ofsaid arm bearing against said arm and the end of the bolt, normallytending to move said bolt away from the pivoted end of the arm, saidbolt and arm having interengaging stop means for limiting the extent ofpivotal movement of said bolt away from the arm, said crossconnectingportion between the sides of said support being spaced a short distancefrom the adjacent side of said arm.

4. A structure as defined in claim 3, and a bar slidably mounted betweensaid cross-connecting portion of the support and the adjacent side ofthe arm, and means for longitudinally moving said bar between twoextreme positions, in one of which the arm is held against pivotalmovement in a direction toward the bar and in the 6 other of which saidarm is free for such pivotal movement.

5. In a structure as described, a latch including a support adapted tobe secured at the inner side of a door, a latch bolt, an arm movablymounted on said support on which said bolt is movably mounted, yieldingmeans moving the latch bolt in one direction, interengaging means on thebolt and arm stopping said latch bolt in said direction at apredetermined position, said latch bolt being adapted to be movedagainst said yielding means upon engagement with and passing by a keepertherefor, and releasable means for holding said arm against movement tothereby maintain the latch bolt in engagement with the keeper until saidarm is released.

6. In a structure as described, a support adapted to be secured at theinner side of a door, an arm pivotally mounted thereon adjacent one endof the arm and extending away therefrom, a latch bolt pivotally mountedon said arm adjacent its other end and extending outwardly therefrom andin a direction toward said support and terminating in a part extendinginwardly toward said support, interengaging means on the bolt and armfor limiting pivotal movement of the bolt away from said arm beyond apredetermined position, and yielding spring means acting on said bolttending to move said arm outwardly until stopped by said interengagingmeans.

7. A structure as defined in claim 6, and means engaging with said armto resist pivotal movement thereof in a direction away from the bolt.

ALBERT F. LICKTEIG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 307,281 Farrar Oct. 28', 18841,597,524 Gustavson Aug. 24, 1926 1,882,248 Madsen Oct. 11, 19322,380,543 Ostrom July 31, 1945

